Founded in 670 by the General Oqba Ibn Nafaa, the central city of Kairouan prospered during the Aghlabide dynasty, in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th Century, Kairouan remained the first holy city of the Maghreb.

Its rich architectural heritage mainly includes the Great Mosque with its marble and porphyry columns, and the Three-Doors mosque dating back to the 9th Century. It includes 150 000 inhabitants (2003). Its medina was declared UNESCO’s world heritage in 1988.